Seattle steals the Kings

In all you incoherent ramblings you have stated one fact, that Schultz sold to Bennett.

I'm sorry you view facts as "incoherent ramblings" but too many of you ignored the facts or temporarily forgot them in favor of blaming Clay Bennett for everything. You won't get away with that.
 

How is one not a slime ball/scumbag etc when his demands are met but changes them? Talk about facts, I gave you the facts. Every single one of his demands he made in front of the city council was met. 

That's a creative attempt, but once again, it was his team. He paid $350 million for it. He can change his mind whenever he wants. 

And you forgot the most important demand.... a new arena. That was not met. Funny how you left that out.

Bennett is a scum bag but Schultz is at fault for putting the city in the situation. 

 Ahhh, so Bennett is still a "scum bag" but you simply say Schultz is at fault. Would it kill you to call Schultz a scum bag a third of the time you call Bennett one? He is, after all, how you ended up without the NBA in Seattle.
 

 

You don't have facts, you have opinions. You have 1 fact that everyone can agree upon. Schultz sold the team, that is a fact. Waiting on another which you have yet to post. I don't blame Clay Bennett, the humidity in Seattle was too much for him, he never really there was such a thing as an attractive girl or a volcano. I mean, yes being surrounded by things you can actually exercise with would be a reason to leave for a man in his shape. I just think the dude is a scum bag.

What part of yes it was his team do you not understand? But when you make demands to stay that are completely met then how is that? Yes, he was given land to have a funded which Renton and Bellevue was willing to fork over the other half that Balmer agreed to pay half arena put on right next the Seahawk facility in Renton or land in Bellevue. He changed his mind and demanded it to be built in an occupated part of downtown Seattle. So again, your fact is false. It was his team so he can change his mind but that still makes you a scum bag does it not.

Find one place where a Sonics fan said one good thing about Howard Schultz? Bennett is a scum bag, again you try to hold a city/county hostage but they give you exactly what you demand then change those demands how is that not being a scumbag? And no, Schultz is not the reason Seattle does not have a team. Fact: Clay Bennett moved the team, since you are mister/misses facts.

And no, Schultz is not the reason Seattle does not have a team.

Yes it is. Bennett does not enter the mix without the actions of the Schultz group. Period.

I'll add you to the list of Sonics fans like your friend WizardHawk who like to ramble on and on about things that do not matter. As I said to him, Seattle would have basically had to build him a brand new arena for free to get him to stay. Not "half from Ballmer" or anything like that. Bennett was in the driver's seat, and he knew it.

Schultz sued Bennett for the violation of the good faith effort in finding a new arena solution, but then he dropped the suit. That was another fact I brought up (among many, most of which you ignore). Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels took the buy-out money from Bennett to clear the path for the Sonics to move 2 years early. Another fact. He could have stuck to his guns, and the Sonics would have stayed there. He took the money and ran, and then laughed about it at the press conference.  

Admit it. The only way the Sonics would have stayed is if they had built him a new arena to where there could have been no way he would have been allowed to move. But Seattle decided to play chicken instead and do nothing and take their chances. We know the rest of the story.

It would be refreshing if you guys would lay off Clay Bennett and focus your hateful rhetoric and name calling on the people that got you in bed with Clay Bennett, the Schultz group. That's all. You knew what you were likely going to get from Bennett. He led an ownership group from Oklahoma City and desperately were trying to get a team there. I don't expect you to shower Bennett with praise or anything, but Bennett capitalized on the stupidity of Howard Schultz. He was going to win either way. If he had been "stuck" in Seattle, he would still be part of an exclusive club as an NBA owner, and also would be able to sell the team for far more because they would have a new arena with far more revenue streams and presumably much more favorable lease terms than the existing Sonics had. If Seattle did nothing, which was the case here, he would be free to move in a year's time.  

But keep claiming I don't bring any facts to the discussion if it warms your little heart.

Yes it is. Bennett does not enter the mix without the actions of the Schultz group. Period.

You're mister "facts" Schultz did not relocate the team did he?

I'll add you to the list of Sonics fans like your friend WizardHawk who like to ramble on and on about things that do not matter. As I said to him, Seattle would have basically had to build him a brand new arena for free to get him to stay. Not "half from Ballmer" or anything like that. Bennett was in the driver's seat, and he knew it.

When he demanded that, Bellevue and Renton stepped up, but he changed his demands to 3 certain locations in Seattle that were already occupied.


If he had been "stuck" in Seattle, he would still be part of an exclusive club as an NBA owner, and also would be able to sell the team for far more because they would have a new arena with far more revenue streams and presumably much more favorable lease terms than the existing Sonics had. If Seattle did nothing, which was the case here, he would be free to move in a year's time.  

Even with a new arena he would not have been able to sell the Sonics for the value in which he bought the team, Revenues streams were there to be had but Bennett wanted nothing to do with the city of Seattle and Howard Schultz doesn't have the b*lls to ask for it. He would rather cower in his little chair and have David Stern do all the talking.


Noone is putting all the blame on Bennett. He is just a scumbag. A guy who consistantly lies, a guy who will not let his star player be interviewed with any local media, exactly which of those are endearing qualities? He is about 10th or so on the list of people who Sonics fans should blame but does not take away the fact the guys is a slimeball.

Schultz did sell the team to an ownership group from Oklahoma that he knew wanted to move the team to OKC. He and the people of seattle are to blame. Bennett simply moved something he owed to the place he wanted it to be. It's no different than if the seattle ownership group moves the Kings.

Schultz is to blame. He sold the team to an ownership group from Oklahoma that he knew wanted to move the team. The people of seattle are to blame for not voting to pay for a new arena the way they did for the seahawks and the mariners.

Our friend wazzufan is back for more punishment I see.

You're mister "facts" Schultz did not relocate the team did he?

Yes, I am Mr. Facts. I'm sorry you'd rather be an ostrich and keep your head in the sand, but I'm always here to light you a candle rather than to curse your darkness. You're welcome.

Schultz paved the way for relocation. Tell me how the Sonics move to Oklahoma without the actions of the Schultz group. Explain to me how it happens if Schultz decides to only let people in the Seattle area bid on the team, something he could have mandated but did not. Tell me how Clay Bennett ever enters the picture without the actions of Howard Schultz and his conscious, deliberate decision to sell the Sonics to an ownership group from Oklahoma City. Nothing happens without Schultz. Schultz sold to the OKC group and did not give a flip about the Sonics fans when he did it. He simply did not care. He didn't wait for a local buyer. He took the money and ran.

When he demanded that, Bellevue and Renton stepped up, but he changed his demands to 3 certain locations in Seattle that were already occupied.

Stepped up as in built a new arena? I don't think so. Nice try.

Even with a new arena he would not have been able to sell the Sonics for the value in which he bought the team, Revenues streams were there to be had but Bennett wanted nothing to do with the city of Seattle and Howard Schultz doesn't have the b*lls to ask for it. He would rather cower in his little chair and have David Stern do all the talking.

You clearly have no understanding of simple economics. If the Sonics were playing in a new $500m arena with lots more luxury boxes, restaurants, and seats, he would be able to sell the team for far more than the $350m he paid with that team stuck in KeyArena.

Noone is putting all the blame on Bennett. He is just a scumbag. A guy who consistantly lies, a guy who will not let his star player be interviewed with any local media, exactly which of those are endearing qualities? He is about 10th or so on the list of people who Sonics fans should blame but does not take away the fact the guys is a slimeball

Wow. If Bennett is 10th on your hit list, I hate to see the kind of hateful rhetoric you'd use for the people in the 1-9 slots, but to date I've never heard any hateful rhetoric such as the kind of words you use describing Bennett, such as "slimball" or "scumbag"

Why you people drink any of Howard Schultz's overpriced coffee is beyond me considering his betrayal of your city. I would have never set foot in any of his stores ever again if I had grown up as a Sonics fan.  

Ski these people refuse to admit the truth.

I truly hope this thread is a poor representation of OKC fans and not how they act on average... freakin pathetic

I truly hope this thread is a poor representation of OKC fans and not how they act on average... freakin pathetic

My assumption is you have no idea how OKC fans were treated when Howard Schultz decided to sell the Sonics to an ownership group from OKC and then how Seattle fans rambled and babbled constantly about Clay Bennett without truly blaming the cause of their woes on the group that put them in bed with Clay Bennett. Let alone the Mayor of Seattle (Greg Nickels) who said "Sure, I'll take you're buy-out lease money, Mr. Bennett, and let the team move 2 years early." Instead, they wanted to focus the blame on the guy that was smart enough to buy the team at Seattle's moment of complete inemptness from an owner who didn't not give a flying flip.

Sorry you didn't see that in these pages. Perhaps you should focus on your reading comprehension skills before attempting to post some sort of fly-by observation.

JaeReece, you must have missed the comments over the years from some(and yes I know it's just some)of the seattle fans.

Schultz paved the way for relocation. Tell me how the Sonics move to Oklahoma without the actions of the Schultz group. Explain to me how it happens if Schultz decides to only let people in the Seattle area bid on the team, something he could have mandated but did not. Tell me how Clay Bennett ever enters the picture without the actions of Howard Schultz and his conscious, deliberate decision to sell the Sonics to an ownership group from Oklahoma City. Nothing happens without Schultz. Schultz sold to the OKC group and did not give a flip about the Sonics fans when he did it. He simply did not care. He didn't wait for a local buyer. He took the money and ran.

Your point? I pointed out that Howard Schultz did not move the team and with all your blabbling you said it's his fault. And merely pointed out the fact that slimeball filed for relocation not Howie.

Stepped up as in built a new arena? I don't think so. Nice try

Stepped up as in offered. You do realize that Bennett owned the team less than it takes to construct an arena right?

You clearly have no understanding of simple economics. If the Sonics were playing in a new $500m arena with lots more luxury boxes, restaurants, and seats, he would be able to sell the team for far more than the $350m he paid with that team stuck in KeyArena.

No, clearly you do not understand economics period. Having a brand new state of the art arena does not add the extra $150 million dollars to a franchise's value which Howard sold the club for 150 million more than it's value.

Wow. If Bennett is 10th on your hit list, I hate to see the kind of hateful rhetoric you'd use for the people in the 1-9 slots, but to date I've never heard any hateful rhetoric such as the kind of words you use describing Bennett, such as "slimball" or "scumbag"

Well lets see, there are only two culprits left involved in taking the Sonics away. David Stern and Scum Bennett. Howard has been in hiding from the sports community since his dropped his lawsuit. Gregoire is out, Nichols is out, the racist Licota is still in. Clay Bennett is a sleaze ball and there is no way around it, but I'd understand wanting a sleazeball as an owner.

And I'm not sure exactly where any Sonics fans have hated on OKC fans. We hate the scum ball owner, we hate the fact that the NBA fought for a city like OKC to have a team but was more than willing to rip one out of a city like Seattle. Never any animosity towards the actual people in OKC.

Your point? I pointed out that Howard Schultz did not move the team and with all your blabbling you said it's his fault. And merely pointed out the fact that slimeball filed for relocation not Howie.

He just sold to an ownership group from Oklahoma City. It was his fault. Nothing happens to the Sonics without his actions. NOTHING.

Stepped up as in offered. You do realize that Bennett owned the team less than it takes to construct an arena right?

Stepped up as in allocated funding. Don't think so, son. Try again. You lose, and you lose badly.

No, clearly you do not understand economics period. Having a brand new state of the art arena does not add the extra $150 million dollars to a franchise's value which Howard sold the club for 150 million more than it's value.

Since I apparently have no concept of economics (even though I majored in it), let's just entertain the wazzufan dolt for a second or two.....    A brand-new arena with more revenue streams will add more to the overall revenue stream of the team. You think a few more luxury boxes and a few more seats over time won't make a difference in the revenue stream? You're an idiot.

Well lets see, there are only two culprits left involved in taking the Sonics away. David Stern and Scum Bennett

Well, first of all, the Sonics were never a public ulility. You don't own the team. They are free to move like anyone else in the free market (ever heard of that, wazzufan???? it's called "the f-r-e-e m-a-r-k-e-t). Ever heard of such a concept, wazzu fan? Ever in your life? The only persons responsible for this franchise moving were the actions of former owner Howard Schultz and the Seattle Mayor (at the time) Greg Nickels.

You lose, badly, yet again.

Never any animosity towards the actual people in OKC.

Then shut up!!!!  The people of OKC are not why you don't have the Sonics today. STFU.